Rainbow Organization as Entertainment
The Home Edit, founded by Clea Shearer and Jodie Teperman in 2015, exploded into mainstream consciousness with their Netflix series debut in 2020, though their Instagram presence had built significant following since 2019. The company’s signature rainbow-organized pantries, closets, and spaces became instantly recognizable aesthetic, launching a thousand Container Store shopping trips and sparking debates about organization as aspiration versus accessibility.
The Rainbow System
The Home Edit’s defining characteristic was “ROYGBIV” (rainbow order) organization of items by color. Pantries featured snacks arranged in clear acrylic bins progressing from red through purple. Closets displayed clothing in rainbow gradients. Toy rooms organized by color families. The visual impact was undeniable - these spaces photographed beautifully and created satisfying before-and-after transformations.
The system required extensive purchases: clear acrylic bins ($8-40 each), matching labels, turntables for corners, drawer dividers, and more Container Store products. A single pantry organization could cost $500-2000 in supplies alone, not including professional organizer fees ($150-300 per hour).
Netflix and Celebrity Clients
The 2020 Netflix series Get Organized with The Home Edit showed Shearer and Teperman organizing celebrity clients’ homes (Khloe Kardashian, Neil Patrick Harris, Reese Witherspoon). The show’s appeal combined satisfying transformation reveals, celebrity lifestyle glimpses, and the hosts’ genuine friendship chemistry. Season viewing inspired millions to attempt their own organization projects during pandemic lockdowns.
The celebrity association elevated organization from practical necessity to aspirational lifestyle. Having “Home Edit style” organization signaled not just tidiness but affluence, design awareness, and participation in contemporary lifestyle culture.
Criticism and Accessibility
Critics raised multiple concerns. The systems’ cost put them beyond most budgets - buying enough matching bins for even a small pantry represented significant investment. The rainbow organization prioritized aesthetics over functionality - some items made more sense grouped by type, frequency of use, or family member. The clear container obsession created plastic waste and required transferring items from original packaging (losing expiration dates and preparation instructions).
The emphasis on “Instagram-worthy” spaces rather than livable systems drew particular criticism. Real families with busy lives couldn’t maintain magazine-perfect rainbow organization. The pressure to achieve Container Store perfection made some people feel inadequate about normal, functional storage. Questions emerged about whether organization media created anxiety around normal household clutter.
Practical Adaptations
More affordable organization guides emerged suggesting alternatives: dollar store containers, existing baskets and bins, skip the rainbow for practical groupings, organize what you have rather than buy new storage. Some appreciated The Home Edit for inspiring organization efforts even if exact replication proved unrealistic. Others found the aspirational perfection demotivating rather than inspiring.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/
https://www.vox.com/
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/